Americans in Paris
French Listening Comprehension
Study Guide
Take a look at the following for help with any French vocabulary and grammar that you might not
have understood in Americans in Paris, then take
the test.
Georges Eugène Haussman was the prefect, or governor, of the Paris region who was charged by Emperor
Napoleon III with modernizing a city that in the mid-19th century had changed little since medieval
times. He rushed through a massive demolition and construction program that opened up the city
around several major road axes and improved hygiene and safety. His methods, however, were hotly
contested: many householders received little recompense for the loss of their assets, while others
amassed fortunes by speculating in the new property.
Musée des Arts premiers
It's technically called the Musée du Quai Branly, precisely to prevent controversy over terms like
"primitive" and "primary arts." The museum opened in mid-June after ten years of planning and at a
cost of $300 million. It is very much the child of Jacques Chirac, who has made cultural diversity
in a globalized world a theme of his presidency. Situated just upriver from the Eiffel Tower, the
museum houses some 300,000 tribal artifacts - masks, figurines, trophies, musical instruments - from
Africa, Oceania, Asia, and the Americas. Most of these were previously in two other Paris museums:
the Museum of Mankind and the Museum of African and Oceanic Arts. The Quai Branly aims to become one
of the must-sees on the Paris tourist trail, but it is not without its critics; this and other
aspects will be covered more fully in a future edition of Champs-Élysées.
Museums and galleries
The museums and galleries listed here are all in the same area of western Paris, in the 16th and 8th
arrondissements. The Cité de l'architecture et du patrimoine is to open in 2007 in a wing of the
Palais de Chaillot, the grandiose 1937 construction that looks across to the Eiffel Tower. The
palace also houses the Marine and Mankind Museums. The newly opened, ultramodern aquarium is in the
Trocadéro gardens, below the palace. The Guimet museum is a collection of Asian art, and the
Fondation Bergé and Yves Saint Laurent is dedicated to haute couture. The City of Paris Modern Art
is in the Palais de Tokyo, alongside the Contemporary Arts Center.
Tours Eiffel, Montparnasse
Since Paris has very few high-rises, the handful that exist are good landmarks. The Tour
Montparnasse is the ugly office block above the railroad station in the 14th arrondissement, and the
Concorde Lafayette is a monumental hotel at the Porte Maillot, on the western edge of the capital.
Regulations dating from 1974 prevent the construction of buildings above 31 meters (101 feet). The
result is a city that feels remarkably open, despite the lack of undeveloped space. Some people have
attempted to change the rules, mainly to provide cheaper housing, but the latest urban-development
plan, which City Hall approved in June, keeps the limitations in place.
Americans in Parispart 1
part 2
French Listening Comprehension Exercise
Sound files and transcript were originally published in Champs-Élysées audiomagazine (read
my review)
and are used with the permission of Champs-Élysées, Inc.
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